Fishman SoloAmp

The Fishman Solo Amp is a solid state guitar amplifier and PA designed for solo singer/songwriters looking for something to amplify their sound. It has a dual XLR input preamp, as well as 1/4 inch inputs for each channel as well. There are also some knobs for some EQ and leveling. While this is somewhat big, it is not too hard to carry up and bring with you if you are going to bring it to a show or even on tour.

UTILIZATION

The configuration of the Fishman Solo Amp is pretty basic and easy to follow. It is easy to get everything set up and to get a quick, good sound from this amp. The manual for the Fishman Solo Amp is pretty complete and I could see how it might be helpful when learning this product if you don't have any previous experience with anything like it. The Fishman Solo Amp's ease of use is one of its best qualities because it assures that it is aimed at everyone from beginners to professionals.

SOUNDS

The Fishman Solo Amp is perfect for when I want to play acoustic guitar and sing solo. I can plug both my guitar and my microphones into this and get a good amplified sound. Fishman is known for making great pick ups, but this amp is also a great product. I usually use this with a Martin dreadnought acoustic/electric guitar and a Shure SM58 mic, and I feel that I get some good sounds with this configuration.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using the Fishman Solo Amp for about six months and I believe it is the best product of its kind because of the great sound quality and affordable price. If you are a solo artist and find yourself needing amplification for shows or for practice, the Fishman Solo Amp is for you. This is very affordable for players on all budgets, without comprising sound quality. Overall, I highly recommend the Fishman Solo Amp for all types of solo artists.

Circumstances: I wanted to change her and avoid wearing heavy bass subwoofer. I was very pleased with NM250 home Montarbo and SA112 box. But the 24 kg box and son everywhere, pissed!
For some time, we saw the flower market system line array: Collins, found in France, Bose, but the sound is too "loudness" for my taste, MAUI, but the box is more than 20kg and SoloAmp Fishman.
I had a lot of concerts to perform in August and so I went to my local music store to Besançon to control the thing. Well in August, the importer is on vacation! No way to get a SoloAmp! Besides these importers should stop making fun of the world, but that's another debate.
So I ordered from thotho and the amp was home three days later. All specifications on the manufacturer's website.

UTILIZATION

What strikes unpacking, this is the first case, which seems very solid. The speaker stand, very stable, also to look like a rock-solid, even if plastoc. And when we introduced the speaker on the stand, it feels like a cushioning hope: it is very well done. The weight is really the scope of a weakling, it starts on the foot and it is very easily removed. Fishman claims that its system can be assembled and disassembled in 10 minutes: I would rather say five minutes without rushing.
There is no manual, but is it necessary? Everything is on the box.
The machine is very complete: two channels with gain, three-band EQ, low cut,-10dB pad, to, monitor, reverb, everything that you need for vocals and acoustic guitar. At the back, I plug in an MP3 player to and I can also connect at the same time monitor the electric guitar through the SpinDoctor T-Rex. In short, lots of connections. The output to a tuner is anecdotal: I would have preferred a small built-in tuner.
I first did a test in the open air with about twenty people. The SoloAmp is simply a killer! Ample power to half volume and a huge sound acoustic guitar (Gibson Blues King). The guitar does not catch and especially the bass response is amazing. I tested several microphones for singing: a SM58, far from being ridiculous, a Neumann KMS 105 and a Shure Beta 87A. There is not much difference between these two, but the Beta 87A has a tendency to hang the least feedback.

SOUNDS

SoloAmp this is for me the ideal for small gigs and outdoor takes its full dimension room, piano bar etc.. One speaker is sufficient but not the stereo for MP3. Which saves time and fatigue compared to Montarbo! When the speaker is in the bag, you can hang the amp with two very large wheels. 20 kg with cover and foot, but happiness! And 11 kg, the enclosure can be handled without problem: a girl of 12 years could install the amp on the foot.
Summary of gear used: Shure BETA87A, Gibson Blues King or Advanced Jumbo, MP3 player and Roland T-Rex Spin Doctor with PRS Santana II. The cables used are Vovox.
Level effects, there are only three positions reverb and a contraption that vaguely resembles the delay. It's not great but very adequate.

OVERALL OPINION

Will I do it again this choice? OF COURSE, and I even bought a second one, b-stock this time. Can connect two soloamps directly, for example if you play two. Well, it's not terrible and difficult to resolve. So I added a small digital mixer, Edirol M10DX and in this config, it becomes monstrous huge bass, accurate mids and slightly aggressive treble. I hear in the MP3 of the things I did not hear before. Small room: one SoloAmp. Large room or outdoors, both soloamps. The amp has no competition either this is much more expensive, or it's much heavier.
One small snag in tiny, it says "assembled in china". With parts that come from where? of North Korea? In Indonesia? Finally, the main thing is that it works and it's pretty reliable air.

Line-array (available to speakers and cohesion phase for uniform diffusion of sound)
200 Watts

The Fishman SoloAmp What is it? This is an amp combining the capabilities of an amplifier dedicated to the guitar (or acoustic instruments), with the projection of his own in a public address system. The idea is to reach the general public with a sound broadcast uniformly avoiding the effects of "diffusion cone" to own a small receiver placed on a support. This release can also do without an additional monitor. That is the theory and marketing.

In front, there is Jack and XLR inputs for two separate channels. The channels have a phantom power and a reduction of 10db Input (pad). We have a master volume and a mute to mute the output volume for the auxiliary input and volume control in case you would use an additional monitor on a dedicated output.

Each channel has own settings for EQ (low, medium, treble but with fixed frequency chosen for acoustic instruments) Gain (indicating overload), reverb level. At the fight against returns, each channel has an anti-feedback (EQ close to track the frequency of return) and a phase inversion.

The rear panel is generously endowed, a (good) habit Fishman. Each channel has an effects loop and DI output type, called "pre", inserted before the effects and EQ, if you would like to remix the signal from each channel separately. The amp also has a DI output my. transplanted out to the general output signal. A volume control adjusts the tweeter's acoustic characteristics of room for problems. The amp has an output for a tuner and a connector for a footswitch to mute the sound to match or change the instrument in silence (quite handy device on stage).

UTILIZATION

The construction is solid, although I found the adjustments to various elements less specific than for my Fishman Loudboxer 100. These are details, alignments screws, wedges reinforcements. The knobs are very good, with a very smooth race, but the small buttons - mute, phase, pad, etc.. less convinced me to touch as they move around a lot in their homes. It is obviously difficult to comment on their strength or their life.

The Levels adjustment is a breeze, it pushes the mute button, it adjusts the gain until the light flashes briefly indicating saturation, it comes down a tad below and can open the sound. It then chooses the trimmings

With regard to the sound, the first surprise was a blast this enough, without being intolerable. It's just that I used my Loudboxer 100 has better material. Resistance feedback (Larsen) is impeccable, the reverbs are clean and well-chosen (note the absence of the chorus who was present on the LOUDBOX, but I imagine that a process of broadcasting audio playing on several stages Broadcasters should not love the chorus). To report another loss, the headphone jack on the ... Fishman, she previously served for recordings, and to check the dynamics of my game, but I'm going very well.

I tested the receiver in different rooms of the house, because the sound is very dependent on the environment. In a large room, the amp finally finds its mark. I felt the midrange to be quite hard on the ear. Finally, by slightly changing the ratio of piezo / mic my Fishman Ellipse, for the microphone, the sound has found a more natural and flexible. This amp will adapt very well to guitars with magnetic pickups or mixed systems (mic / pickup). I think the ultimate combination would test it with a Fishman Aura system, which allows a close rendering of a guitar picked up by a studio microphone.

I appreciated the dissemination of sound that is very pleasing to a few meters (I was up to 5-6 meters). The highs are detailed, the bass is beautiful, no need for a subwoofer at first sight (at least with my guitar). It also imposes by his looks, his stature and efficient construction.

If assembly disassembly is smooth, in transport, the bag tends to switch on the side instead of staying on his skates ... if you have no free hand (guitar + amp + bag + ...) is boring . The bag starts to oscillate sometimes while driving. For a concert tour (which is not my case, of course) I imagine that after a few days, it must annoy. Some elements have given me an impression of relative fragility (screw the foot, push buttons).

Nevertheless, Fishman Soloamp is very well equipped, and it has nothing to be ashamed of ... compared with other sound systems. When compared with other dedicated amps (even the same brand), it is somewhat less convincing.

Outdoors, in a concert hall type of cultural center, a church, a cinema, I would take it without hesitation. To accompany one or more singers sing myself or play in a band, I would use it well.

In a cafe-concert hall or more confined, and instrumental solo concert, I probably prefer the Loudboxer 100, which I find most universal and easy to implement. I'm curious to test it with a pedal Aura.

Last thing, it costs about 1200 €.

SOUNDS

Madden, however, small details.

To obtain a sound setup that suits me, I can reduce the gain sufficiently far from saturation, which decreases the relevance of the reflex to "push the gain to flash the clip, a bit lower gain, ok." Throughout the system gave me the impression of less cash the dynamic changes of a sudden a little bit tough. It was a fast "full mouth", which forces to contain the game (and I do not remember hitting).

Outdoors, in a concert hall type of cultural center, a church, a cinema, I would take it without hesitation. To accompany one or more singers sing myself or play in a band, I would use it well.

In a cafe-concert hall or more confined, and instrumental solo concert, I probably prefer the Loudboxer 100, which I find most universal and easy to implement. I'm curious to test it with a pedal Aura.

OVERALL OPINION

I have been using qqs months.

I tested the Loudbox100, Roland 60 Watt, an EAR of Kustom.
I love the ease of use and handling. Penetration and projection of sound.
I like a little less sound in the lower midrange, but with a parametric EQ DI can be corrected.

The value for money is very good.

Yes, but I would like to compare with the Bose system, to see.

Here are the specifics of the manufacturer:

Compact Line Array = Ultra wide horizontal dispersion & deeper sound penetration
Two Mic / Instrument Channels
High-quality preamps
3-band EQ
Phantom Power
Independent Reverb level
Effect Loop
Feedback-fighting Phase and Notch filters

Drivers
Six 4 "mid-woofers, patented dual gap, high excursion design, neodymium magnets (200W)
One 1 "Neodymium soft dome tweeter With level control (20W)

Auxiliary Stereo Input With Level Control
Four Digital Reverb effects With master level
Balanced XLR DI outputs for Both channels and main mix
Unique Monitor I / O for Improved on-stage monitoring all
Mute with remote footswitch input
Tuner Output
Ships With Stand and padded Carry Bag (w / wheels)
Dimensions: 41.5 "H x 5.6" W x 6.6 "D
* Weight: 25 lbs Without Stand, and Stand With Bag 35lbs

UTILIZATION

I tried all morning today ...

I am the happy owner of a Taylor 612C which became my main guitar since I stopped playing electric ...

I now producing on stage accompanied by a pianist and a saxophonist, I wanted the following solution:

Return of the acoustic perfection of my Taylor 612 C (equipped with the Highlander)

Proper dissemination to the acoustic guitar and vocals ... without need for additional sound!

Reduced assembly time (I just quit playing in a rock band with which you moved each time a ton of stuff: It was more than music and handling as they played a lot, I eventually get bored!)

I logically tried Solamp:

In short, the concept is successful and perfectly suited to the dissemination of a guitar and a voice!

It offers all the benefits you want!

It's pretty clear one: To find the sound of my guitar I just lowered the treble ... and Zou!

not need DI box



SOUNDS

The sound is just very pure!

Power is the appointment: I put the gain to three quarters before the clip does not trigger saturation.

Then I put the master in just nine hours and everyone hear me in the store!

So the reserve of power ... The diffusion is ...
U.S. STANDARD ... Better than the usually used sonos

Everybody hears it, the musician as the listener!

My Taylor is simply amplified uncolored metal or "plastic" ...

If I type on my body, I intend to sound as if I had a microphone in front of the rose ...

The reverbs are effective easy to solve ...

One branch, and we play basta ...
There, with the volume I used, I positioned myself in front and not leaving feedback! Impressive: usually, this part so quickly whistle ... then NOTHING!


OVERALL OPINION

The big plus compared to its competitors: The sound dispersion! The sound quality and is heard by all!

I had Carlsbrow, AER, SR Technology, Roland ... and always the same concern: the fate of a small box and the sound is tight. When you want to mount the volume, it gets harder and we are still asking the question of how to position it so it does not feedback to finally transplanted into a PA system!
I am a singer guitarist playing rock, pop, blues, acoustic jazz and with that, I do not need anything else like material ...

On big stages, I can use DI and back with a subculture on the sound system ...

In contrast, repeats and in Caf'Conc, restaurants, weddings, seminars, etc. (where I play most of the time is ideal and sufficient without breaking his back and head to the settings and other problems distribution, volume and feedback!)

Truly a concept tailored to what I do: From acoustic music in public! And once the service is complete, dismantled and stowed in the trunk of my car in 10 minutes ... Who says better?